The Inheritance of Loss | Kiran Desai

The Inheritance of Loss | Kiran Desai | A series of poetic still lifes

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The Inheritance of...

	The Inheritance of Loss Kiran Desai Grove Press, 2006 - 384 pages average customer review:based on 154 reviews view larger image
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Powerful, realistic

A powerful novel, which kept me up reading every night. At once so many dimensions-a political novel, tackling issues of class, prejudice and race; one of the few works portraying the realities of the illegal immigrant underclass in America-and the hopes and dreams that started it all; the self sabotage that destroys families.
We read all the time about the success stories of immigrants to the US, but most people are unaware of the immigrants who are hopelessly trapped in poverty and who are worse off than where they left. The portrayal of the visa issue system is stunningly accurate, having observed this first hand for myself, in several countries. Not for those who view the world with rose tinted glasses, or don't want to accept the realities of the lives of many.

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A series of poetic still lifes

Desai has a wonderful way with words, both poetic descriptions and dialogue. The book describes a time of conflict and even revolution in India. So what could possibly go wrong?
There is almost no sense of motion in the book. A scene is described; characters talk and emote and consider; then we start the next scene. There is very little that carries the reader from one scene to the next. As the literary equivalent of a "still life" the scenes can be quite good, but for a reader hoping to be swept along by a flowing plot, the book can be stilted and disappointing.

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